The Jedi Way: Sacrifice
by Jedimastersandy
Summary: Another installment of the Jedi Way Series. in this one, Obi takes on more than he can handle. Will he and Qui escape?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, Obi-Wan, or Qui-gon. Those belong to Master Lucas.

Chapter 1

Obi-Wan leapt over the log blocking their path, trying to keep up with his long-legged Master. It was times like this he wished he was just a little bit taller. Maybe then he would be further ahead of the gun-toting maniacs currently chasing them. Thinking back, it was a very stupid their pursuers were angry about. Apparently, the citizens of this planet were extremely sensitive to Human pheromones. Simply because Obi-Wan's hormones were imbalanced (a natural side-effect of Human adolescence) they saw this as a personal insult and promptly chased the pair to their ship at the end of several blaster bolts.

Their ship was getting nearer, but definitely not fast enough for the short teen. His Master glanced behind him and silently urged his apprentice on faster. The boy tried, Force knew he tried, but he just couldn't will his legs on any faster. After another glance behind him failed to show any difference in the distance between him and his student, Qui-Gon was forced to shorten his strides to allow Obi-Wan a chance to catch up.

"No! Keep going!" Obi-Wan shouted when he saw his Master slow his steps. Qui-Gon opened his mouth, but any reply he might have made was cut off with a yelp as he tripped on an uprooted log and fell heavily on his knees. Obi-Wan tried to hurry and reached his Master quicker than he thought possible. He slid to a stop in front of his Master, who still hadn't moved.

"Master, are you okay?" Obi-Wan panted. He didn't see any blood, but Qui-Gon was very adept at hiding injuries.

"I wrenched my knee." Qui-Gon admitted with a grimace. Obi-Wan paled. That meant his Master probably wasn't going to be weight-bearing any time soon. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan knew that if they stayed where they were, they would be killed. Obi-Wan dragged Qui-Gon's large arm over his smaller shoulders and hauled his body off the forest floor and managed to get to the edge of the plain their ship was on before he could no longer hold his Master up.

Qui-Gon, sensing his apprentice tiring. "Put me down. You'll just have to fight them." Obi-Wan obeyed, but it was obvious he didn't like the idea. Obi-Wan started to protest, but suddenly whirled, bringing his 'saber up to deflect a blaster bolt. He decided to stay his ground and planted his feet in a wide stance, his blue blade flying. When he had killed most of the men, one yelled out.

"Surrender!"

"Never!" he knew it wasn't a very Jedi-like thing to say, but it just felt right.

"Yes, surrender. And your companion may lie to see another dawn."

Obi-Wan turned to see an older, grey haired man holding a blaster to Qui-Gon's head.

"Who are you?" the teen asked.

"That would be telling." The gun clicked as the stranger powered it up. "Now. Surrender."

Obi-Wan sought his Master's eyes, but the blue orbs were shut tight against the pain of kneeling. Deactivating his lightsaber, Obi-Wan glared at the stranger.

"Let him off his knees. Can't you see he's in pain?"

"Drop your weapon." The man growled. Obi-Wan forced his fingers to relax, leaving empty hands in the air. As his lightsaber fell soundlessly to the leaves scattered at his feet, there was an electric snap followed by the heavy thud of a large body hitting the dirt.

Hope you all liked the newest installment of the Jedi Way series. Tune in next time for more fun Obi-whump! As always, reviews feed the plot bunny!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, despite my repeated pleas to Santa. It all belongs to Master Lucas.

CHAPTER 2

Qui-Gon woke with that unpleasant tingly feeling one gets after a big electric shock. He brought his hands slowly to his aching head, not wanting to aggravate it any more than necessary.

"Master!" Qui-Gon's eyes snapped open. He gazed anxiously around the cell –a cell?- and found his Padawan across the room.

"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked, blue-green eyes shining with worry.

"Yes. Are you?" the Master then attempted to stand. He fell heavily with a cry as a blast of pain exploded out of his knee. He felt blackness creeping up to pull him back down.

"Qui-Gon!" there was a tinkle, a thunk, and then a groan. Qui-Gon forced the blackness back and scanned the room. He was greeted with the sight of Obi-Wan sprawled on the floor, leg extended awkwardly, as his ankle was shackled to the wall. Qui-Gon carefully scooted closer and laid his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder silently asking him if he was alright. Obi-Wan nodded, then awkwardly sat up and leaned back against the dirty stone wall.

Qui-Gon leaned next to him, injured leg extended in front of him. After centering himself, he attempted to access the Force. If he could not speed the healing in his knee, it would be many days until the two of them could leave.

The Master closed his eyes and reached. **Black. Oppressive. Nothingness.** This wasn't the Force, it was… lack of it. Frustrated, the man pushed harder. Instead of the rush of reassurance and love he normally felt during meditation, he felt a void. With a grunt of frustration, Qui-Gon opened his eyes to find his student once again gazing at him with hope and trust.

"Were you successful?" Obi-Wan queried. At Qui-Gon's negative response, the boys head drifted downward in presumed shame. "Me either. Do you think it's a drug?"

"Actually, I believe our cell to be made of ganymite." Obi-Wan's head shot up in disbelief. Ganymite was a very rare mineral that could mostly, if not totally, block a Jedi's connection to the Force. Despite this obvious disadvantage, it was very valuable as it produced a cheap titanium substitute when melted down. With no preamble, the dim light in the cell was extinguished, plunging the small cell into utter darkness.

"And I believe that means it is time for bed." Qui-Gon laughed, glad that even though things seemed hopeless his Obi-Wan could still joke as if they were snug in their beds back at the Temple.

A harsh buzzer accompanied the abrupt return of the lighting. The occupants of cell number 5 awoke groaning. Obi-Wan felt very odd. His head felt barely attached, like he was floating. After two minutes, the guards stormed in and hauled both Jedi to their feet. As they stepped out into the hallway, something clicked and the fuzzy feeling vanished. His Master, who had been slumped and favoring his injured knee, stood up straight and tall.

Obi-Wan was still nervous, but relaxed slightly when he felt his Master brush reassuringly at their bond. They walked silently behind the guards down stone hallways. Every few feet, there was a metal door leading to another cell. If there was only one prisoner per cell, there were approximately 500 beings in this wing. At the end of the hallway, they were shoved through a door into a small room lined with cabinets and staffed by a young man, grubby and wearing clothing way too big for his scrawny form. The pair was directed to strip and don the garish orange jumpsuits that marked incarcerated persons on this particular planet. Then, barefoot, the Jedi were ushered into a large courtyard surrounded by green speckled cliffs of ganymite, which were being mined by the other prisoners. One burly guard, obviously chosen for his ability to follow orders not his thinking skills, lumbered over and directed them to a secluded corner.

"Listen well, as I will only say this once. Each morning, you will be given an assignment. Finish it by sundown and you eat." Without waiting for their assent, he walked off, already yelling at another prisoner.

The pair were set up in front of a large, old-fashioned furnace and ordered to shovel large piles of coal in order to keep the fires hot enough to melt the ganymite into titanium. If the fires became too cold, they were punched and threatened with the removal of dinner. Normally, this would have been an easy task, but the trace amounts of ganymite in the coal prevented them from solidly connecting to the Force. They had already decided they would save all their Force energy for their escape, so they were reduced to simple, physical labor. Luckily, they both managed to finish their tasks to the approval of the guards.

When the sun went down, the prisoners were gathered and escorted back to their cells. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, being further down the hall than anyone else, noticed things others missed. As the guards locked the doors, they mentally flipped a switch that told the food prep droids whether the occupants of that particular cell were to receive food that night. As they observed, Qui-Gon noticed some who were skinnier than was healthy. With their waning strength, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan discreetly flipped a few switches, hoping they would not be caught.

The duo was brought back to their sparse cell and Obi-Wan was once again chained to the wall. Qui-Gon dragged the cot from its spot by the door next to the boy. After the door closed behind the guards, the fuzzy feeling returned. Obi-Wan urged his Master to sit on the cot so he could look at the man's knee. Rolling up the baggy leg, he gulped. The joint was swollen twice its normal size and was an angry red. The youth tried one more time to touch the Force, knowing it would aid him in healing the older man's injury. He shuddered at the hollow feeling, but persisted, pushing deeper into the blackness. With a breathless gasp, he managed to connect to the Force long enough to shove an uncontrolled wave into his Master's mind, dropping the other man into a healing trance. Obi then sat back against the wall, exhausted. He tried to puzzle out the reason, he shouldn't be this tired after one day of labor. Finally, his stomach growled and told him to stop daydreaming and eat before he passed out.

After devouring half the meal, he stopped himself. Qui-Gon would need the food more than he would. He gently re-adjusted Qui-Gon so he was lying comfortably, and then covered him with his own shirt against the chill of night. He then sat on the floor next to the cot, determined that he wouldn't fall asleep until his Master had had his share of the meager rations. When the older man finally awoke several hours later, he found his wonderful boy leaning his head on his knees, fast asleep, their dinner half eaten. Qui-Gon mechanically ate the remains, and then laid back down, resting and gathering his strength for the day to come.

Thank you to all my readers, it makes me happy to know you enjoy torture methods. *evil grin* Remember, push the little button and let me know what you think! :


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, all! Thanks for being patient with me. My laptop broke, so I've been using the schools. That is a nightmare. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!!

A/N: words like this 'park' are said telepathically and words said like this "park" are said orally.

The following morning was the same as the day before with the addition of a watered down porridge and a cup of water for breakfast. The two prisoners sat huddled on the floor together, sharing body heat as well as companionship. When the guards came in to unlock Obi-Wan's chains, Qui-Gon stood quickly. He had to bite back a cry as his knee protested. It didn't hurt as much as it had the day before. Whatever Obi-Wan had managed to do had worked wonders. While walking out the door, Qui-Gon felt relief as the Force returned in a rush. Beside him, his child sighed in relief.

'Patience, little one.'

The Master grinned at the look of pure joy that infused the teenager's face at being able to hear his Master again.

'Yes, Master. You know how **wonderfully** I do at being patient.' The Master chuckled silently at the irony Obi-Wan could conjure at will. A few minutes later, the pair was stationed in front of the furnaces, shovels thrust uncaringly in their hands. The head of Obi-Wan's shovel banged into the older man's bad knee and he hissed in pain. Obi-Wan looked away, not wanting to see the hurt he put on his Master's face. With little enthusiasm, Obi-Wan scooped up the first of many, shovelfuls of coal. Very quickly, the two Humans began to perspire.

Take your shirt off. It helps disperse the heat,' Qui-Gon advised, while shedding his own orange shirt and tying it around his hips.

The teen followed his example. Without the restricting fabric, both Jedi were soon drenched with sweat at the end of the long day. They both stumbled back to their cell. Standing on his knee all day had returned the throb in Qui-Gon's leg to full force. When they were halfway down the hallway, Qui-Gon tripped and Obi-Wan was forced to catch the larger man and support him the rest of the way to their cramped cell.

Once they were in their cell, Obi-Wan released his master who managed to hobble over to the cot on his own. Obi-Wan submitted to the indignity of having his leg again shackled to the wall next to the bed. It was a small comfort that the guards hadn't moved the cot from its previous position.

Settling himself against the wall, Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He was tired from fulfilling his quota, but since it was his fault they were in this mess, the least he could do was stay awake so his Master didn't have to eat alone. He opened his eyes to see his Master rearranging himself on the cot so his inflamed knee was stretched somewhat comfortably in front of him. When Obi-Wan saw the grimace of pain the Master failed to totally conceal, he winced with grief. He immediately bunched up his shirt and placed it under the swollen joint.

"You don't have to do that, Padawan. I'm fine."

The boy shook his head."No, you're not. You could barely stand not five minutes ago."

"Yes, but I'm fine now. I have no need to stand. With a little rest, I'll be as good as new."

Obi-Wan clamped his lips over another argument. His Master had enough to worry about without his Apprentice going emotional on him. When the faceless droid delivered their dinner, Obi-Wan crawled over, stretching his chain to the limit, and retrieved it. He then carefully split the rations in half, even though he could probably eat three times his portion. The small meal was eaten in silence,; both companions just relaxing in each other's company.

After dinner, Obi-Wan stood over Qui-Gon's leg., his hand hovering a few inches over the knee. The youth reached for his tenuous connection to the Force. When he got a shaky connection, he channeled it straight into the injured joint. The simple healing took much more effort than normal, and before the wound was halfway toward healing, Obi-Wan sagged to the floor, drained. Qui-Gon gently guided the boy to lie on the ground, head pillowed on the Master's shirt. It meant Qui-Gon would be without a pillow, but, considering this whole ugly mess was his fault, it was worth the sacrifice.

'I swear, if I have to see their smug faces one more time, I'm gonna scream!' Obi-Wan calmly remarked after their guards had come strolling by for the fifth time in an hour.

'Please, try to contain yourself.' his Master remarked, careful to conceal the grin threatening to break through his stoic mask.

The two Jedi had been in high spirits all day as the elder Human had come up with a plan for escape that they would implement at dinner. Much to Obi-Wan's exasperation, the guards seemed to sense that the Jedi had something planned and were being extra-vigilant. Obi-Wan then made the mistake of letting his exasperation show on his face.

One of the guards saw this. With a determined stride, he walked up to the teen and, without preamble, kicked his legs out from under him. Obi-Wan dropped his shovel and instinctively caught himself before he ended up in an undignified heap.

"Oh, ho! A fighter, are you?" the guard mocked.

Obi-Wan just glared. He refused to be goaded into a fight. His Master sent him a flash of approval. In his instant of distraction, the guard knocked Obi-Wan to the ground with a kick to his chest. Obi-Wan landed hard on the dropped shovel. Kicking it aside, he jumped back up only to be knocked down again by the guard easily twice his size. When he didn't get up a third time, the guard walked closer and kicked the youth in his arm. Obi-Wan cried out. That was all it took for an irate Qui-Gon to break the hold of his restraining guards and bolt toward his Apprentice. Halfway there, his foot caught on the treacherous shovel and he landed with a sickening **CRACK**! He heard his student yell his name and then all he heard was blackness.

"Qui-Gon!" With a barely restrained sob, the youth ran to his fallen partner, quickly checking for injuries. Aside from breaking his half-healed knee, Obi-Wan could detect no other injuries. In fact, the older man was painfully coming awake. Obi-Wan soothed him and bathed Qui-Gon in all the comfort the Force could give him.

"On your feet," ordered the guard, unfeeling.

"But his knee is broken!" Obi-Wan squeaked indignantly.

The guard indicated he was interested in what the youth was saying.

"There is no way he's gonna be able to work on that. Give him a few days to recover."

"No work, no food,"

"I'll do his share." The guard looked skeptical, but also knew that a broken knee was nothing to play around with.

With a look of decision, the guard told Obi-Wan to get Qui-Gon back to the cell, then return to finish the work. With some trouble, and much pain, the youth managed to get the larger man upright and Qui-Gon hobbled to the cell. When Obi-Wan set him down, and turned to leave, Qui-Gon grabbed his hand.

"W-Why?" Obi-Wan threw him a questioning look, asking silently for clarification. "Why are you leaving?"

"I have work to do. No work, no food." Remarked Obi-Wan reluctantly.

Glancing quickly away, Obi-Wan escaped out the door. He stopped briefly to tear a strip off the end of his shirt sleeve and wrap it around his upper arm. He then trudged back to the furnaces to try and keep up the pace. Two hours after everyone else left, the guards let Obi-Wan leave. By the time he got back to their cell, the tiny dinner had already arrived. After he was chained up again, he turned his attention to his wounded partner. He once again stood over Qui-Gon's knee and, hand shaking, channeled what little Force he had left into healing the knee.

Qui-Gon looked up when the door opened and his frazzled Apprentice entered. The boy was obviously tired, but there was something that Qui-Gon couldn't place that had turned the boy's skin a sickly white. The valiant student saw to the Master's needs before his own. Though Qui-Gon tried to hide his pain from Obi-Wan, the boy felt it and spared even more of the precious Force to help block the pain. As soon as he broke the connection, Obi-Wan went three shades whiter and swayed. Qui-Gon tugged gently on the boy's arm and the boy sank to the floor faster than a rock in water. While the youth sat, eyes closed, trying to regain his breath, Qui-Gon lowered himself so he was sitting on the floor next to the teen. He then stretched out and grabbed the food sitting by the door. Despite protests to the contrary he forced the boy to eat his half of the supper. When Obi-Wan fell asleep sitting up, Qui-Gon took pity on him and laid the boy out on rock, head pillowed in the Master's lap.

Two days later, when Obi-Wan stumbled in, dirty, pale, sweating, and barely cognizant enough to stay upright, Qui-Gon decided that they couldn't delay their escape any longer. When Obi-Wan was informed that they would implement their plan, he didn't even smile. He just nodded wearily. At the arrival of the dinner droid, Qui-Gon, with Obi-Wan's help, touched the small connection Obi-Wan had managed and confused the droid into thinking it needed to open the door in order to deliver its load of food. At the same time, Qui-Gon popped the latches on Obi-Wan's shackles. The boy stood shakily, but then stopped.

"Can you support your weight?" he asked quietly.

Qui-Gon reluctantly shook his head. "Lean on men, then. We'll have to find something else pretty soon. I… I don't know how long I'll be able to help you."

He glanced at the floor, embarrassed at his perceived weakness. He knew, though, that his Master deserved the truth.

Qui-Gon looked at the top of the boys head, undecided. The boy felt sorry that he was tired! What was going through the youth's head? Shaking off the worry –for now- he simply slung his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders and the two staggered out the door and slunk down the hallway. Luckily, there were no guards at the point they had decided to use. With another subtle touch of the Force, a maintenance hatch fell outward, landing amid a cloud of dirt with a muffled thump. The pair gazed out at the rocky, arid expanse stretching endlessly in front of them, bathed red by the light of the small planet's two moons.

Remember! Reviews feed the plot bunny!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: i do not own star wars, nor will i in the near future.

A/N: hope you enjoy the new chapter. hope to update again soon.

Qui-Gon sat, huddled next to his slumbering Padawan, under a rocky outcropping half a day's walk from the isolated prison that had been their home for nearly two weeks. Now they were well on their way toward a distant spark of humanity Qui-Gon had sensed earlier that day. He ferverently hoped they could call on the mercy of that mystery person and contact the Jedi Temple.

Obi-Wan shifted and moaned in his sleep. The Master gazed fondly at this child, who had shouldered much more responsibility than the average sixteen-year old should have to. He carefully shifted his weight, hoping not to awaken his student. His hopes were dashed a minute later as the young man sat up, rubbing his eyes with the back of this hand. The Master grinned at the boyish gesture. As Obi-Wan gained cognizance, he turned anxious eyes on the wounded man beside him.

"How do you feel this morning?" Qui-Gon asked, smiling.

"I should ask you the same question." There was a reprimand inherent in the sharp tone. All the previous night, the teen had supported his Master in the trek away from the prison. The teen was so tired he had fallen asleep as soon as he allowed himself to relax. "You can't keep going on like this." the youth stated.

"I will do what I must." The oft-repeated retort earned a long-suffering sigh and a small smile. "That said, we need food." In response to the thought, the child rose and jogged out into the landscape.

As soon as Obi-Wan was far enough away that sound would no longer reach his invalid Master, he dropped to his knees and retched. When he had nothing left to bring up, he wiped his mouth with the back of a trembling hand. He sat for a minute, trying to stop the shivers traveling through his body. Once they distilled down to slight tremors, he rose and searched out something to eat.

By the time his Apprentice returned with a small, furry rodent, Qui-Gon had managed to collect enough dry brush to start a fire. Obi-Wan looked surprisedly at the crackling flames, and then plopped into the dirt. Silently, the boy used a sharp rock to skin the animal. When it was done he laid the pieces on a flat rock to fry.

"I hate to ask you to venture out again, but we need water." Qui-Gon said, gazing apologetically at the exhausted boy, wanting nothing more than to hold him and let the Force heal all the huts they had suffered. Obi-Wan didn't complain, simply rose and disappeared into the rocky, barren landscape. He returned several hours later with two gourds filled with fairly clean water.

"It's getting dark." Qui-Gon nodded. "We should get some distance between us and that prison." Obi-Wan suggested. Qui-Gon agreed and shifted his weight so he could use a nearby rock to hoist himself vertical. Obi-Wan handed him a makeshift crutch he had found on his water venture. Qui-Gon accepted it eagerly, not wanting to put any extra burden on his overtaxed student.

The pair trudged through the night, guided by the trickle of Force flowing through the ginger haired teen. Apparently, the wole planet had enough ganymite in its surface to disrupt the Master's connection. He figured it might be because he had been cut off from the Force for several days. He hoped by the morning, he might have some connection back. By the time the sun started to peek above the horizon, Qui-Gon was stumbling, held upright by a combination of his crutch and Obi-Wan's strong, young arm wrapped firmly around his waist.

"Come, Master. I found us a shelter." Obi-Wan informed the older man. He then guided Qui-Gon under an outcropping that opened into a shallow cave. Once his Master was settled against the wall, he took a small sip of the water he still carried, then offered the rest to the injured man. Qui-Gon promptly drained it.

"Sit, child. Rest. Before you fall over." Qui-Gon ordered with a good-natured grin.

"I will. Right after I fix your knee. Walking on it all day didn't help." The boy knelt down next to his Master and hovered his hands over the break. Qui-Gon felt the healing waves of the Force flow over him, knitting the shattered bone and bruised cartilage back toward health. Once it reached the point it had been that morning, Obi-Wan kept going. Qui-Gon tried to protest but Obi-Wan told him, in a no-arguments tone, that if he just healed it to how it was that morning, he would never heal.

When Obi-Wan slumped wearily in the corner, Qui-Gon couldn't help but feel guilty at all the sacrifices his Apprentice was making on his behalf. After settling himself more comfortably next to his student, Qui-Gon closed his eyes to sleep through the heat of the day.

He was rudely awoken several hours later by the painful sound of someone violently emptying the contents of their stomach. It took him a minute or two to wake up enough to realize who, exactly, was so afflicted.

"Obi-Wan!!" He stumbled out of the cave, using the wall to keep from falling over as his knee twanged. Just outside the mouth of the cave was his Padawan, on hands and knees. When he heard Qui-Gon, he jumped and furiously tried to bury the evidence.

"Master." The lad turned, taking in the pale appearance of the older man. "You should be resting, you're not well."

"Neither are you, child." Admonished Qui-Gon, who didn't fail to notice Obi-Wan was pale and shaky beneath the sickly green tinge of nausea. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan wiped his mouth with a dirty, much-stained orange sleeve and stood up. Qui-Gon's quick eyes saw the ragged hem and he caught the boy's arm before it fell. He didn't say anything, but Obi-Wan dropped his gaze to his boots.

"During the fight, I fell on the shovel." He then pulled up his sleeve and exposed the crude bandage he had wrapped around the cut. Qui-Gon stared in mute horror at the blood which, having soaked through the orange fabric, was now running in a lazy river down Obi-Wan's tanned bicep. Obi-Wan furiously yanked the sleeve down and tromped back under the overhand and busied himself with eradicating all traces of their brief stay. Qui-Gon followed at a slower pace, his eyes never leaving his teenage charge.

"If we don't stop tonight, we should get there by mid-day tomorrow." Obi-Wan said quietly, not wanting to disturb Qui-Gon.

"Yes, but are you sure you'll be okay?" Obi-Wan nodded confidently. Qui-Gon, however, frowned. "Will you at least let me clean that arm first?" Obi-Wan didn't answer, just plopped down and rolled his sleeve up again. Qui-Gon, with a slight smile on his weathered face, lowered himself next to his student. Ripping two strips off the hem of his own shirt, Qui-Gon folded one and wet it with the water gourd. Then, he untied the bandage from Obi-Wan's arm. He sucked in air through his teeth with a hiss. The gash was long and deep, seeping blood and a sickly, pale liquid. Qui-Gon, with a gentleness belied by his rough, work-calloused hands, cleaned Obi-Wan's arm, careful to get all the dirt out of the cut. He then bound his arm, tying new clean material around his bicep.

As soon as Qui-Gon was done, Obi-Wan shot him an appreciative smile and closed his eyes sending healing Force, not into his own body, but into Qui-Gon's. Even if Qui-Gon objected, there was really nothing he could do. Obi-Wan was the one with this mysterious connection to the Force, and the teen blocked it as soon as he used it. Obi-Wan stumbled to his feet, swaying from blood loss and exertion, then held out his hand to help his Master to his feet. The two of them, clinging to each other for physical support, set out across the trackless expanse toward their tiny speck of hope. Obi-Wan kept up the flow of healing Force through the rest of the day.

now, just push the little green button -it's green now, not purple :(- and tell me what you thought!!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, nor will I in the immediate future.

A/N: in this chapter, anything in italics is communication through the Mater/Padawan bond

"Come on, you can make it. We're almost there." Qui-Gon crooned to his teenage charge, stumbling along beside him. Qui-Gon's broken knee was healed, just like new, thanks to the concentrated effort of Obi-Wan, who had used his limited connection to the Force to do what the Master could not. Obi-Wan stumbled and tumbled to the ground, too tired even to catch himself.

"I… I can't make it." Obi-Wan panted."You… keep going. Contact… the Temple… get a transport…" Qui-Gon stopped Obi-Wan's exhausted rambling with a gentle hand on his heaving chest. He silently passed the canteen he had pilfered from an abandoned cottage they had passed and stared the boy down until he drank a little of the clear water.

"We will wait here until you feel ready to continue." He then sat down next to his Apprentice, pulling the young man closer to drape an arm around Obi-Wan's skinny shoulders. Not more than thirty seconds after Obi-Wan's head thudded sleepily onto Qui-Gon's chest was he asleep. Qui-Gon closed his eyes and reached through the child's weakened shields. He briefly touched the miniscule Force connection to search out the presence they had been traveling toward. He found it less than a few hours away. Gently, so as not to wake his Padawan, Qui-Gon extricated himself to do a little reconnaissance before the youth woke.

Qui-Gon snuck with Jedi stealth through the scraggly undergrowth that grew more densely closer to the water of this small village. After quenching his thirst at the lazy river, he crept through the darkened streets toward the only large building he could see for miles around. Silently asking Obi-Wan's permission, Qui-Gon invaded his privacy once more and used the Force to break into the hangar. After ensuring that one ship would only respond to his delicate Force touch, Qui-Gon quickly re-crossed the distance separating him from his Padawan. He found Obi-Wan exactly as he had left him. With a regretful look on his face, the Master reached down to wake his student. The youth remained insensate. Qui-Gon knelt closer and tapped the teen on the cheek, something that was usually guaranteed to wake the youth only to recoil in shock. Slowly, he reached back down, feeling the boy's cheek with a calloused palm. The kid was freezing!

However, it would have to wait until they were off this hellish planet. He tapped Obi-Wan a little harder, nudging with the Force, and the boys eyes blinked open blearily. The pale grey eyes gazed at the Master in confusion. Qui-Gon urged the boy to his feet explaining that he had acquired transport and they needed to move quickly. Obediently, Obi-Wan struggled to his feet, but immediately began to collapse again. As Qui-Gon caught his student, the boy's eyes fluttered shut.

"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon demanded worriedly. Obi-Wan struggled to open his eyes again and managed to slit his eyes open once more. "Think you can make it to the ship?" he asked the boy anxiously. Obi-Wan struggled for a moment before managing to get his feet under him. With Qui-Gon's strong arms supporting him, Obi-Wan managed to stumble across the deserted landing field and toward the small freighter that Qui-Gon had found. As they passed the guard station, however, the attention of the bored guard was drawn away from the holovid of beautiful aquatic dancer by some odd sounds outside.

The guard glanced out the window to see two Humanoid figures creeping slowly toward the parked ships he was sworn to protect. Without hesitating, he slammed his palm down on the silent alarm. He then un-latched his blaster from his belt and snuck quietly behind the pair, who were speaking quietly, no doubt plotting how do fulfill their dastardly deed.

Obi-Wan stopped just short of the hatch. The Force, such as it had been this trip, was screaming at him. He gathered what was left of his strength and shoved Qui-Gon to the ground and fell heavily on top of the Master as a red blaster bolt sailed into the side of the spaceship. Panting from just that infinitesimal effort, Obi-Wan managed to pull himself off Qui-Gon and crawl up the ramp. As soon as the youth was off of him and safely on his way up the ramp, Qui-Gon jumped up and ran to the cockpit. After using a little Force persuasion, he managed to get the ship started and under his control. He heard Obi-Wan collapse on the decking in the back of the ship. He remotely closed the ramp and they blasted off with a shaky jump.

Qui-Gon unconsciously reached for the Force to steady them and scan for followers. He did it quickly, as their connection was fading. He stopped. Fading? It shouldn't be fading. With the planet, and its Force blocking effects, getting farther away their connection should be getting stronger. At the same time, he felt the small Force trickle warning him that something was WRONG! He ran into the back of the ship, expecting to see something explode. However, all he saw was his brave student, sprawled on the deck. He knelt down and examined the youth for the blaster burn he was sure was there. He was stymied when he came up with nothing. Frustrated, he used the Force to scan the small body in front of him.

Obi-Wan stirred slightly, then fell back limp. He was barely breathing. With shaking fingers, Qui-Gon reached up and felt the teen's pulse. It fluttered against his fingers, then fell silent. The pause before the next pulse of blood almost stopped Qui-Gon's heart. He realized his son was dying in front of him. He still didn't know what was wrong, so he reached into their bond and called out.

_Ma…ster. _Qui-Gon almost cried at how tired the boy sounded, even in his head.

_What's wrong, child? _Qui-Gon asked, his concern pouring through the intimate link. The response was just a confused thought, the youth not having the energy to form words. _Don't worry, child. I'll figure it out. You'll be okay._ Qui-Gon reassured the silent youth, refusing to believe it was a false hope. He pulled back out of the connection and fell into a shallow meditation. Slowly, he came to a horrifying realization. The link he and Obi-Wan had been using for the last week had not been a connection to the Force, as they had thought. It had been a link to Obi-Wan's own life force. Qui-Gon was almost sick as he realized that every time they had used the link, it had slowly sucked the very life out of Obi-Wan.

With the quick thinking that had allowed the older man to survive to Mastership, he found a connection to the Force. He indulged for a moment, feeling the Force fill him with a sense of peace. He then focused the infinite power of the wonderful Force to his Apprentice, helping the comatose youth gain enough strength from it to stay alive. Then the youth found his own connection and fell into a healing trance.

Several days later, Qui-Gon shook the sleeping form of his Apprentice. He was overjoyed at the bright, lively blue eyes that stared back at him from the still pale place. It would be several weeks before either of them was back to the way they should be. However, both Jedi were glad that this time, at least, the mission had not required the sacrifice that both were willing to give.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know, reviews inspire new fics!


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